When Mercedes-Benz introduced the E-class sedans two years ago, the line was
somewhat hampered by the lack of an eight-cylinder engine, even though one was
promised. Sure, the E320, with a 3.2-liter six cylinder, was a nice car, but for a
price of $50,000 you expect at least eight cylinders.

Well, the one minor flaw with the E-class has been solved and the promise kept. It
now has a 4.2-liter V-8.and it makes the E420 as complete a car as possible. Now if they
could only get the price down to under $20,000....

The E420's engine is rated at 275 horsepower, which is perfect for a car of this size.
It drives the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic gearbox. Notice--five speeds. This
is a gear more than you get in your standard Chevy. The extra gear makes the E420
smoother in shifting. That, in another sense, is the biggest gripe against the car (to be honest,
all the gripes are very small). You're driving a Mercedes E-class. You have a lot of power
under your right foot. And the shifter is so smooth that whenever you kick your foot to the
floor to take off, it takes a while for it to decide which gear it wants to be in, then shifts, and
then the fun begins. You don't get a kick in the back as you do with a turbocharged car or
even with a Corvette. Yet, it is a good surge of power that is a wonderful feeling.

You feel, once you get going, that the E420 will accelerate forever. The car is
equipped with a 160 mph speedometer, but the top speed is electronically limited to 130
mph. Of course, the only place you can drive at a speed like that is Montana, so you don't
suffer too much in the "lower 49." I never even tested the top speed, but I would love to
have taken this car out on a track like Pocono or Indy.

We used the E420 on an extended trip down to DC to visit our daughter. The trip
down was wonderful and comfortable and we had plenty of luggage room. The trunk is
listed at 15.3 cubic feet, and it's a useful 15 feet.

While in the Capitol, I had some business to attend to, and I felt quite comfortable
driving the Mercedes in that city and wearing a suit. While some parking garages were
afraid to keep the car after dark, it was a good vehicle to drive around town. The E420's
compact exterior dimensions made it a good vehicle for urban driving. It isn't an Urban
Guerilla car like a smaller vehicle with a stick shift, but for civilized urban driving you
couldn't ask for more.

Additional comfort came from a dual heating/cooling system that allows the driver
and passenger to ride at different temperature levels. For entertainment, there's an AM/FM
stereo radio with a cassette and capability for a CD changer. As one wag put it though, for
$56 thousand, you should get the changer.

For safety, the E420 has four air bags, two in the dash and two in the doors. It
also has traction control and an optional Electronic Stability Program that helps prevent
slips and slides by pulsing the brakes at the appropriate comers. In areas where the car
can be driven in snow or on ice, ESP is great.

There are abundant storage areas, a dual arm rest with a flat portion at the top and a
deeper portion below, a small and a large glove box, compartments in the doors, and a
magnificent cupholder that could only have come from the engineers and designers at
Mercedes-Benz.

The Mercedes-Benz E420 is a beautiful automobile. It handles well and it finally
has the power that the E-class needed when it first arrived. It has anti-lock brakes, traction
control and skid control. It is as close to being a complete automobile as anyone makes
these days. Except for the quirky key that won't release if you have your foot on the brake,
it has few flaws. I only wish it was a little less expensive so that I could afford it.